Hey everyone!
Welcome to The Winged Yogi blog 🙂 Where I will blog about … well my life! Some Yoga, some gym stuff, some makeup and organic skincare stuff, and life! Random things … sound good?
Hmmm … some background perhaps?
Hi there … I’m Joanna, I am a Makeup Artist for film & television, a Prosthetic/Sfx Artist ( I sculpt, mould & apply my own stuff, Yes I could make you elf ears!) and a Model. 🙂
I love yoga, but honestly like all I lazy with my practice *smacks back of Jojo’s hand* be honest i am not the only one.
I have Scoliosis, for those of you who don’t know what that is, its a curvature of the spine, so basically instead of a lovely straight spine and the usual bad posture! I have a lovely C Now developing into an S shaped Spine resulting in not bad, but terrible posture, Luckily it hasn’t caused me too much pain until recently, last 2-3 years, which is why i finally joined a gym and smiled with relief when I found yoga. (Just as I type this a Manduka email comes in … IF ONLY I could afford their home package with that big black square beauty of a matt!!! … Problem with being boney …yoga matts are always too thin for shoulder stands, that one looks pretty thin …. I’m getting distracted!)
So tomorrow is Tuesday … and I am headed to the gym 😀
I am excited … I am not sure why, but I am! I think its because its core day, I love core days, Sunday was a leg day. Which you know … I don’t mind, I actually kinda like it unlike most, I hate the day after leg day -_- Usually I always stupidly do a leg day before I go skating and honestly, thats not smart! NEVER DO LEGS BEFORE FIGURE SKATING TRAINING!
I loose all ability to skate, do not expect me to do a teapot (one legged squat in the ice world, Pistol/Piston for you gymies … totally just made that word up ) well for obvious reasons! Do not expect to see my amazing spiral (that pretty thing where you arch your back and hold your leg up high behind you … makes me feel like a professional 😉 ) because clearly my ass is on fire at the thought and just don’t anticipate any of my jumps to work because i can barely do a turn guys!
Seriously … Just call me Bambi!
Have I mentioned Figure skates weigh a ton … its like wearing an ankle weight! Solid leather and steel is not light!
My coach asks why I even go to the gym … then I show him my teapot progress and my spiral improvement and I say “Thats why!!’ with a wink of course! He’s Scottish, and gay and i love him! 😉
UM where was I? Gym yes … I go to Pure gym, Its modern, the equipment is all self powered! (how awesome … You have to cycle for a few seconds before it blinks on! Eco bonus!) and its cosy and friendly! The staff are all helpful and encouraging, its very hard to feel self conscious there!
I joined the gym honestly because while I lived in London I built up the muscle in my whole body without realising due to my job. I left home halloween time 5’9 i returned for easter holiday standing at 5’10!!!! Unfortunately since i moved home and didn’t upkeep that my spine moved again/worsened and i’m standing at 5’8.5 😥 very sad. So, to the gym I march.
I Had a personal trainer for a while ‘Beardy Pete’ 😉 but I currently cant afford a cup of coffee … let alone the £25 (Quite discounted for me) price of a session with him. I also ended up really sick and could not go to the gym for nearly 2 months. So as of Sunday I sat down, wrote a plan (the first week anyway) and off I went … they also had an open day so I dragged my sister with me, for that I think I should get an achievement award.
Now I will tell you all what I do at the gym when I go, but do bare in mind my plans aren’t the best to base your own plans off …
1. Being the obvious, I am not a professional trainer and cant be held responsible for anything you choose to do following reading my gym & yoga blogs, You should get professional advice before doing any of the exercises
2. I spend 2 hours in the gym 1hr 15 exercises, 30 min yoga cool down, and then get changed showered whatever! Most of you probably do not want to be there longer than an hour … and I only go 2-3 days a week.
3. I’m skinny, really skinny, I loose weight easily and struggle to gain it! So my gym days are aimed at building strength and muscle weight rather than loosing weight, and are a mix match of what I’ve done in my PT sessions. My skating 2 days a weeks is the only cardio I do other than my warm up because of those weight reasons! I lost a stone in my first 2 months of skating and I cant afford to loose that sooo, that was a little scare that sent me running to the gym for muscle!
… My ass and thighs are on fire by the way, totally look like a pregnant lady trying to sit down, hand out for support, wide legged, minus the bump! 
Where is my Devils Claw gel? Ouch!
❤ Joanna
The Winged Yogi 